The Kane County Recorder’s Office has introduced a new, free service called “Property Watch,” designed to help protect homeowners from property fraud, one of the fastest-growing crimes in America today.

According to a news release from Kane County Recorder Sandy Wegman, homeowners at risk of foreclosure have become a target for predators seeking to profit from their misfortunes. Criminals simply record a document at the Recorder’s Office, making it appear they own of have placed a lien on the property.

Since the best time to detect possible property fraud is as early as possible, the recorder is providing the Property Watch service, which will automatically notify you of any document being recorded against your property.

Once you sign up, you will receive an email notification whenever a document about your property is recorded, along with a link to the document.

There is no charge for the service and no charge to view the document.

You can sign up to Property Watch on the Recorder’s Office website at www.kanecountyrecorder.net. From the home page, click on “Land Records Search,” and you’ll be taken to a page with Sandy Wegman’s signature and a link to the sign-up page.

According to the news release, Property Watch provides these services at no charge:

Instant access to live updates on important transactions to your property records.

Review of your present chain of title to your property.

Assurance that you have a clean title before buying, selling or refinancing your home.

For more information, visit kanecountyrecorder.net or call 630-232-5935.